With nearly 500 stories profiled and shared, the Storytowns podcast is a way for audiences to deep dive into the fabric, feel and life of a place.

The location-based podcast project showcases regional and rural towns, the folks that live there and local hidden gems. Each episode features stories told by local people from across Australia, delving into surrounding landscapes, history, landmarks and interesting facts of each location. 

The most recent episodes to drop were of WA’s Mid West and Gascoyne district capturing the unique history and landscapes of 17 outback towns from shipwrecks, Indigenous artists, big telescopes, bushrangers, mustering with planes and giant roadside flowers.  The stories were brought to life by local characters like artist Andrew Binsiar, Ando’s Art Prints (Meekatharra) and Helen Walter from the Morawa Old Police Station Museum.

RDA Mid West and Gascoyne Executive Officer Mark Holdsworth said “Successful storytelling is a key element in creating interest in a destination. These podcasts are true stories told by local people that can help elevate a destination to a visitor’s must consider list”.

“The podcasts remind us the towns of the Mid West and the Gascoyne are full of history. Whilst the podcasts are entertaining, they’re also a great way of getting people to take a break in their journey and explore,” Mark said.

“The podcasts are authentic stories about people, events and places. When we listen to a story, we’re transported mentally to another time and place. We all know that wonderful feeling of being swept into a story world”. 

The series was created in partnership with RDA Mid West and Gascoyne and the local governments of: Coorow, Perenjori, Mingenew, Murchison, Geraldton, Mullewa, Meekatharra, Cue, Mount Magnet, Sandstone, Yalgoo, Morawa, Chapman Valley, Carnamah and Upper Gascoyne Junction.

“RDA Mid West and Gascoyne is pleased to have been part of this partnership between the local governments and Storytowns, and to promote the 17 podcast stories that tell something unique about each town,” Mark said.

The free podcasts includes a geo-mapping platform which enables subscribers to enjoy an immersive audio-visual tour of Australia’s regional and rural towns.

To download the Storytowns for free, go to: get.storytowns.app